Red tide hits Cancabato Bay in Leyte—BFAR
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2019 01:50:48 +0000
THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Tuesday warned the public against harvesting and eating shellfish from Cancabato Bay, Tacloban City in Leyte, which was found positive for the red tide toxin.
In its Shellfish Bulletin1-2019, BFAR said that aside from Cancabato Bay, other areas that also tested positive for paralytic shellfish poison were: Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur; coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; Puerto Princesa Bay, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan; and coastal waters of Pampanga and Bataan (Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Balanga, Orani, Abucay and Samal).
“All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang gathered from the area shown are not safe for human consumption,” the BFAR advisory said.
“Fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking,” it added.
The bureau said other areas were continuously monitored as part of its proactive approach in safeguarding public health.
Red tide is a phenomenon caused by an explosive growth and accumulation of certain microscopic algae, predominantly dinoflagellates, in coastal waters. Some species of dinoflagellates produce toxins that are among the most potent known to man.
Red tides, which can kill fish, birds, and marine mammals and cause illness in humans, can last days, weeks or months, and can also change daily due to wind conditions.
Eating shellfish from areas with red tide may lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).
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